THE BOY WHO SHOULDN'T EXIST

# 🎴 **Episode 1: “The Boy Who Shouldn’t Exist”**

The city never slept.

Neon lights flickered across the rain-soaked streets of **Neo-Kyra City**, reflecting in puddles like broken stars. Cars passed. People talked. Life moved forward.

And yet… something was wrong.

Far beneath the surface—hidden from ordinary eyes—something was breathing.

Kaien Ryuu stood alone on the rooftop of his school, staring into the distance.

The wind brushed against his dark hair, his eyes quiet… almost empty.

“Another one last night,” someone said behind him.

Kaien didn’t turn.

A group of students gathered near the door, whispering.

“They said a whole building got destroyed.”

“No explosion marks… nothing normal.”

“People just… disappeared.”

Kaien closed his eyes.

*Again.*

He had heard those rumors before.

Not rumors.

Truth.

Later that evening, Kaien walked home through a narrow alley, hands in his pockets. The sky had turned deep red as the sun set, painting the city in an uneasy glow.

Something felt off.

The air.

The silence.

Even the stray dogs that usually barked had vanished.

Kaien stopped.

“…Who’s there?”

No response.

But he felt it.

A presence.

Heavy.

Watching.

A low growl echoed from the darkness.

Then—

Something stepped forward.

It wasn’t human.

Its body twisted unnaturally, like its bones didn’t belong to it. Its skin was cracked, glowing faintly with red lines pulsing underneath. Its face… barely a face… stretched into something that resembled pain.

Kaien’s breath caught.

“…A Hollow.”

The word slipped out before he even realized it.

The creature tilted its head.

Then it screamed.

Not a normal scream—something deeper. Like multiple voices crying at once.

And it rushed him.

Kaien’s body moved on instinct.

He dodged, barely avoiding the creature’s claws as they slammed into the wall behind him, leaving deep cracks.

“What the hell…?!”

He stumbled back, heart racing.

*Why do I know what this is?*

The Hollow lunged again.

This time, Kaien didn’t move fast enough.

Its claws grazed his arm—

Pain exploded through his body.

He fell hard onto the ground, vision blurring.

The Hollow loomed over him.

Its mouth opened unnaturally wide.

Ready to devour.

“Move.”

A sharp voice cut through the air.

In a flash—

The Hollow’s body split apart.

Clean.

Precise.

It froze for a second… then collapsed into black dust.

Kaien looked up, stunned.

A girl stood in front of him.

Her expression was calm. Focused.

She held a strange weapon—something like a blade made of vibrating energy.

“…You’re in the way,” she said.

Kaien blinked.

“…Who are you?”

Before she could answer—

Another presence surged.

Stronger.

Darker.

From the shadows, a second Hollow emerged.

But this one… was different.

Bigger.

More stable.

Its body pulsed with intense red energy, cracks spreading like veins across its form.

The air grew heavier.

Even breathing felt difficult.

“…Great,” the girl muttered. “A higher-grade already?”

She stepped forward, raising her weapon.

“Stay back if you don’t want to die.”

Kaien didn’t move.

Not because he was brave.

Because he couldn’t.

Something inside him was reacting.

The moment he saw that creature—

His chest tightened.

Not fear.

Recognition.

The Hollow roared and charged.

The girl moved instantly, clashing with it mid-air. Sparks of energy exploded as her weapon struck its arm.

But the creature didn’t fall.

It adapted.

Fast.

Too fast.

It grabbed her mid-attack and slammed her into the ground.

Hard.

Kaien’s eyes widened.

“…Hey!”

The Hollow raised its claw—

Aiming to finish her.

Something snapped.

Inside Kaien.

A sharp, burning sensation spread through his chest.

His heartbeat… changed.

Faster.

Louder.

He could hear it.

Feel it.

Like something was awakening.

Before he understood what he was doing—

He was already moving.

Kaien grabbed a broken pipe from the ground and rushed forward, swinging it with everything he had.

The impact connected.

But—

The pipe shattered instantly.

The Hollow didn’t even flinch.

It turned toward him.

Slowly.

Its eyes locked onto his.

And for a moment—

Everything went silent.

The girl, barely conscious, whispered:

“…Run…”

But Kaien couldn’t.

Because now—

He felt it clearly.

That thing inside him.

It wasn’t fear.

It was… hunger.

The Hollow lunged.

Kaien’s vision blurred.

Time slowed.

And then—

Something broke.

A deep crimson glow erupted from Kaien’s chest, spreading across his body like veins of light.

His eyes changed.

One of them turning a sharp, unnatural red.

Energy surged through him—wild, unstable.

Alive.

The Hollow hesitated.

Just for a second.

But that was enough.

Kaien moved.

Faster than before.

Faster than human.

He appeared in front of the Hollow and drove his fist straight into its core.

Not just a hit—

Something else.

Something deeper.

The Hollow screamed.

Its body began to crack.

Not from damage—

From inside.

Kaien’s hand sank deeper into the creature.

And then—

He felt it.

Energy.

Raw.

Burning.

Flowing into him.

“…What… is this…?”

The Hollow collapsed, its body disintegrating into particles that didn’t scatter…

But were pulled into Kaien.

Absorbed.

Consumed.

Silence fell.

Kaien stood there, breathing heavily.

The red glow flickering around him.

Then—

It faded.

Just as suddenly as it appeared.

He dropped to his knees.

“…What… did I just do…?”

The girl slowly sat up, staring at him.

Her expression—no longer calm.

Shaken.

Confused.

Afraid.

“…That’s not possible…”

Kaien looked at her.

“…What?”

She didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, she stood up, gripping her weapon tightly.

As if unsure whether to protect him…

Or attack him.

“…Hollows don’t get purified like that,” she said quietly.

“They get destroyed.”

She stepped closer.

Eyes locked onto his.

“But you…”

A pause.

“…You devoured it.”

Kaien froze.

Before either of them could say more—

A new presence arrived.

A man appeared on the rooftop above them, looking down.

Tall.

Calm.

Watching everything.

“…So it’s true,” he said.

His voice carried weight.

Like someone who had seen too much.

The girl looked up.

“…Master Veyl.”

The man’s gaze shifted to Kaien.

Sharp.

Measuring.

“…Interesting,” he murmured.

Then—

He disappeared.

And reappeared right in front of Kaien.

Too fast to follow.

Kaien flinched, but couldn’t move.

The man leaned slightly closer.

Studying him.

“…Tell me, boy,” he said.

“Who taught you to use Vein like that?”

Kaien swallowed.

“…I don’t even know what that is.”

Silence.

Then—

For the first time—

The man smiled.

“…That’s exactly the problem.”

The wind picked up again.

The city lights flickered in the distance.

And somewhere—

Far below—

Something stirred.

Master Veyl turned away.

“…You’re coming with us.”

Kaien frowned.

“…Us?”

The girl crossed her arms.

“…Binders,” she said.

“We deal with things like that.”

She paused.

Then added—

“…And now, you’re involved.”

Kaien looked at his hands.

Still shaking.

Still warm.

As if that energy hadn’t fully left.

“…What am I…?” he whispered.

Neither of them answered.

High above the city—

Beyond sight—

A massive, unseen presence opened its eye.

Watching.

Waiting.

And for the first time in a long time—

It was interested.

# 🔥 **End of Episode 1**

TO BE CONTINUED....

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